Chapter 5-

Steve walked into the main room of the hellicarrier after the battle they had with Loki's men. The rest of the team was either recuperating from the fight, like Clint Barton who was brainwashed by Loki's specter and then hit in the head by Natasha Romanoff. Or they were somewhere no one knew where to find them, like Thor or Bruce Banner. But yet he found Tony Stark sitting at the table in the center at the room staring at the table. He wanted to like Tony because of him being Howard Stark's son, but there was something about his personality that didn't sit right with the super soldier.

"Was he married?" Steve asked sitting down a few chairs away from the genius.

Running his fingers thru his hair. "No. There was a uh, a cellist, I think."

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man." Steve said nodding his head. Thinking that the two must have been close. He didn't know much about Coulson, other then the fact he had trading cards that he wanted Steve to sign.

"He was an idiot."

Raising his eyebrow at the man across from him. "Why? For believing?"

Standing up from his chair. Stark shook his head, "For taking on Loki alone."

Keeping his eye on Tony. "He was doing his job."

"He was out of his league." Tony said as he began to pace. "He should have waited. He should have,"
"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony." Steve said trying to comfort him.

Walking away from the blond male. "Right. How did that work for him?"

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

Turning around sharply at the super soldier. "We are NOT soldiers! I am not marching to Fury's fife!"

Shaking his head, Steve stood up. "Neither am I! He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list."

Looking over at a blood stained wall, where Coulson bled out after getting stabbed. "He made it personal."

"That's not the point." Steve said crossing his arms.

"That is the point! That's Loki's point. He hit us all night where we live. Why?"

Staring at the man in front of him, getting what he was trying to say. "To tear us apart."

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wasn't to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

Nodding his head. "Right, I caught his act at Stuttergard."

"Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night." Tony said as he began to pace while he was putting it all together. "Loki's a full-tilt dive. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered…" Turning towards Steve. "Son of a bitch! Suit up we're going to New York."

Steve walked in the hellicarries hospital wing, wearing his full Captain America uniform. Before he walked into the room, he pulled out his phone and dialed Emerson's number. Much to Steve's dismay it went straight to voicemail. He hated leaving messages and he wanted to hear Emerson's voice before going into battle.

"Emerson, I need you to get out of the city. Take Liam and go see your parents in Long Island. Please do this for me. Please. And if I don't get to say this later. I really like you and I want to be with you. You are the most amazing thing that has happened to me since I woke up from the ice, maybe even my whole life. And I want to figure out if that's true or not." Looking at the grey empty wall in front of him. "I have to go. Please go to your parents house. Please. Be safe." Hanging up his phone he walked into the room. To find Natasha Romanoff staring at him with a confused look on her face. "Time to go."

"Go where?" Natasha asked looking even more confused, pushing her red head out of her face.

Tilting his head back, in a come on motion. "I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"

The doors to the connected bathroom opened and Clint Barton, back to his normal self, stepped out. "I can."

"You got a suit?" Steve asked looking between the pair of assassins.

Giving the Captain a curt nod. "Yeah."

"Then suit up."

Back in New York Emerson was finishing the final touches on the wedding cake, she just dropped off at one of her costumers receptions. Being a perfectionist is why she made the delivery's herself. Not that she didn't trust her staff, it was just she wanted to make sure the cake was exactly how the bride wanted it. Knowing there was enough stress while planning a wedding, she didn't want the cake to be part of that stress.

Walking on to the streets of New York, she saw a stream of blue light coming from Stark Tower. Tilting her head in confusion, she walked the opposite way down Bridge Street where she parked the delivery van. The screaming is what made her turn around to see what was going on. She found aliens or at least what she fought was aliens, flying above her. Running down the street she entered the closest building she could, a bank. She was surrounded by a dozen other scared citizens of New York. Pulling out her phone to call the police, even though she doubt there was no way they could miss this, she noticed she had a voicemail from Steve.

She only heard the first sentence of the voicemail before she saw three of the Chitauri standing in the balcony above them pointing their weapons at everyone standing around her. Slowly putting her phone down she tried to keep her nerves in tack. Which was hard as she could see one of them messing with something that looked like a bomb. She was in the middle of the huge crowd that was in the bank with her, she was stuck, with no where to go. Suddenly she saw Captain America, her Steve, jumping through the window as he threw his shield at the Chitauri bomber. She could feel the tears fall down her face as she watched one of the most important men in her life fight the Chitauri. Looking up to the sky, she let out a soft prayer hoping that everything would be alright.

"Everyone! Clear out!" Captain America yelled as he flipped over the alien soldier and setting his shield on the bomb right before the bomb went off, saving everyone who was standing in the back. But Emerson was watching in terror as he flew back through the window. Pushing people out of the way, she ran out to the streets to see if Steve was okay. Sighing in relief when she watched him sit up slowly from the, now destroyed, white car he landed on.

Steve looked over at the bank and noticed the blonde women standing by the window hiding behind the post. Hoping off the car grabbing his shield, he ran towards the post. He had to make sure this civilian was okay. He just didn't think the civilian would be the girl he told to get out of the city. "Emerson! I told you to leave!"

"I uh, I didn't listen to the whole message. Didn't get the chance." Emerson said trying not to show how shaken up she was. If he could be strong, surely she could be too.

Shaking his head, he pulled out his second gun. Making sure that it would work, he held it out towards the blonde. "Do you know how to use this?" Watching her nod her head. "Good shoot anything that doesn't look human if it comes near you. Stay here. I'll come back for you when this is all over."

Nodding her head she took the gun from his hand. "Thank you for saving me."

"I'm not done yet." Steve said throwing his shield at an incoming Chitauri. "Hide, I'll be back. Remember shoot at the aliens."

Emerson didn't know how long she waited for Steve to come back, but it felt like hours. Luckily she didn't have to shoot the gun once. Leaning against a beam where she had good visual of the entry way, she waited. Finally she saw Steve walk into the broken bank. He was no longer wearing his helmet and his face was covered in bruises and dirt. Slowly standing up she ran over to Steve, jumping into his open arms.

Finally letting the tears fall heavily she cried into his chest. "I was so scared. For you, for your team, for the city. Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Steve said holding her close and picking her up bridal style. "Come on we're going to Stark Tower. Where's Liam?"

Wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, she rested her head on his shoulder. "At my parents."

"Good." Nodding his head as he began to walk to the tower, before he realized what he was walking around. Dead Chitauri. Turning down the clearest street, Steve changed his mind. "Lets go to my apartment instead. Its closer. How does that sound."

"Good. We still need to talk." Emerson said sniffing and wiping her tears away.

Smiling softly as he felt her snuggle closer into his arms. "I think we can manage that."

Steve walked the two to down the 7 blocks it took to get to his apartment. Luckily with his serum, not matter how tired he was, he was able to get from point A to point B much faster. Setting Emerson down so he could unlock the door, they walked into the apartment. Emerson kicked off her boots before she fell onto Steve's comfy leather couch.

"How do you do it?" Emerson asked as she pulled off her dirty white cardigan. All she wanted to do was to take a bath and clean herself.

Slipping off his uniform so all he was in was a pair of boxer shorts. Normally he would be embarrassed to have Emerson see him with only a pair of underwear on but right now he could care less. He was too tired and dirty to care. "I'm a soldier. If I knew the secret I would tell you."

Watching him dig in the laundry basket, that was full of clean clothes, sitting on the kitchen table. "You are a special breed Rogers."

Smiling softly he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a white shirt on. "I'll take that as a compliment. Do you a change of clothes? I doubt my clothes will fit you, but it'll be better then the dirty clothes you are in. Then we can talk."

"That'll be great." Emerson said standing up and walking over to the table. "Just a shirt would be fine. The shirt will probably be a dress on me."

"Your getting shorts." Steve said giving her a pointed look.

Smiling softly as she took the clothes Steve handed her. "I'll go change in the bathroom. Be right back."

Taking her time in the bathroom, she called her parents to check on Liam. Luckily Liam was taking a nap when her parents had the news on during, what they are calling the Battle of New York. Emerson sighed in relief knowing that if Liam saw Steve on TV, he would have given his secret away. And Emerson wanted to Steve to meet her parents before his secret was let out.

Opening the door she walked back out to the living room. Steve was sitting on the couch holding a glass and the bottle of whiskey was sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

"Did you know I can't get drunk?" Steve asked as Emerson sat down on the couch next to him. "My metabolism works so fast that it doesn't give the alcohol time to fill my body with the toxins. I really wish I could get drunk. Especially after what I just fought."

Taking the glass from him, she took a sip of the whiskey. Feeling the welcoming burn down her throat, Emerson smiled. "Well I can get drunk, so I'll drink for the both of us. I'm Irish I have a hallow leg."

Smiling at the blonde next to him. "Ready to talk?"

"I am." Emerson said setting the glass on the table. "Uh I listened to your voicemail. You really like me?"

Nodding his head, trying to contain his blush. "Yeah I do. Um I have for awhile now, I think the kiss just made it clear to me."

"I feel the same way. And I don't take getting into a relationship lightly." Emerson said criss crossing her legs. "I have Liam to think about. Luckily Liam likes you, he thinks you are the best thing since slice bread."

"I like Liam too, he's a great kid. And I do understand that he will always be put above everything else. He's your number one priority, just as he should be." Steve said turning towards Emerson. "But that doesn't mean you can't live your life. And I am at your apartment more then I am at my own. The only difference will be is there will be a lot more kissing. Trust me after that kiss, I am not letting you go."

Smiling softly. "We can make that happen. But um can we take this slow? Its been a while since I've done the whole relationship thing."

"You technically are my first girlfriend." Steve said tucking her hair behind her ear. "I don't know how to do this."

"We will go thru this together." She said scooting closer to him. Resting her hand on his cheek, she smiled softly as he leaned into her touch. Looking into Steve's eyes she didn't ignore the butterflies this time. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Important in someone else's eyes. The last person to make her feel important, got her pregnant 6 years ago. And that didn't end as well as she'd hoped.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Steve said softly as he leaned into the closer to her, capturing her lips with his own. Steve pulled her as close as he could without either having to be on top of each other, but Emerson had different plans. Her hormones getting the best of her. Pushing him against the back of the couch and straddle his waist. Steve pulled away from the kiss and Emerson moved down to his neck.

"Em." Steve lightly breathed out. But that didn't work as Emerson didn't pull away and slide her hand up his shirt. "Em, we need to stop."

Pulling away, she jumped off of Steve. "I..I am sorry. I just got carried away. I even said that we should take this slow. God, no wonder why I got pregnant at 18."

Standing up from the couch. "Hey hey its okay. I would just like to take you out on a date first before our physical relationship goes any further."

"You want to take me on a date?" Emerson asked looking up from her crossed arms.

Putting his hands on her shoulders. "Of course I do. Isn't that what boyfriend and girlfriends do? Go on romantic dates?"

Nodding her head. "Yes, I'll go on a date with you."

"Good. Does Saturday at 6 work for you?"

"It most certainly does."